When thinking about your sodium intake, balance is key. Here we provide you with various tips and tricks on how to avoid foods that contain high amounts of sodium, track your daily sodium intake, and make sure you are consuming the correct amount of this salt to meet your body's needs.
We all need sodium to survive. In fact, for most of human history, sodium was in such short supply that salt was one of the most valuable things you could trade. Ever heard of the phrase, "A man worth his salt?" That's because workers used to be paid in salt instead of precious metals like gold! Salt was, quite literally, worth just as much, if not more, than gold in some parts of the world.
But today, we have the opposite problem. Americans consume more than an average of 3,400 mg of sodium daily, even though the American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg per day and states an ideal limit of 1,500 mg for most adults. Since most people eat too much salt, due to its ubiquity and accessibility, health problems like high blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease, and kidney disease are just a few of the issues Americans are facing. We have become so accustomed to the taste of salt, that we often don’t even notice it!
So how much sodium should you have a day, and are you going overboard with your salt intake? Let's find out.
Signs You May Be Consuming Too Much Sodium
But how do you know whether you are consuming too much salt every day? It's tough to know how much is too much, especially since it seems like most processed foods come with too much salt by default, and it's hard to know the ingredients in restaurant foods.
You're Always Thirsty
Salt naturally makes us thirsty. Therefore, if you're thirsty all the time, your body's fluid balance might be out of whack. Drink lots of water and try to decrease your sodium intake to alleviate these symptoms.
Normal Food Seems Boring
If regular food seems boring or bland, you might just be too used to eating too much salt. This can make healthy eating difficult, leading to other health conditions.
Mild Headaches are Common
Headaches that crop up every now and again, or regularly (like every morning when you wake up), might be a sign of dehydration. This dehydration could be caused by overconsumption of salt.
You Always Want to Eat More Salt
This last sign is the most obvious – if your body becomes used to consuming a certain amount of sodium, it might start to crave it all the time. You are what you eat in quite a literal way, and both your taste buds and your gut biome (the helpful bacteria in your gut that assist with digestion) can become accustomed to too much salt, making you feel like you should seek out more.
How Much Sodium Should You Have a Day?
The good news is that the Food and Drug Administration states the amount of salt an adult should consume every day very clearly.
According to the FDA, the CDC, and the American Heart Association, adults should take no more than 2300 mg of sodium per day. You can also consume significantly less (around 1500 mg per day) and still remain within healthy sodium levels.
Currently, most Americans eat far beyond this level – average American diets can include up to 3400 mg of sodium per day. This is because most people underestimate how much sodium they eat, especially since they don't look at the nutritional information on the boxes or bags of many of their food items.
This is why it's so important to find low-sodium meals or rely on healthy, plant-forward meal plans like Thistle – you could be heading for sodium related health issues without even knowing it!
How to Track How Much Sodium You're Intaking?
Tracking your sodium intake will rely on forming new habits when it comes to reading nutritional information, and really considering what you eat and drink.
As an example, most processed and pre-prepared foods come with sodium or other additives that can increase your daily sodium intake relatively quickly. As an example, a slice of pre-made bread could have up to 230 mg of sodium, or a slice of frozen pizza could have up to 730 mg of sodium.
To track your daily sodium intake, you'll need to read the nutritional information on the back of every box or bag of food you purchase.
Furthermore, keep in mind that most home recipes call for salt at one point or another. Depending on your sodium intake, you may need to replace this sodium with alternative flavorings like lemon.
Then you have to consider your drinks and other consumed items like condiments. Even natural food sources, like vegetables and most dairy products, and all types of meat, contain a little bit of sodium and can add to your overall sodium intake. A single cup of low-fat milk can contain up to 100 mg of sodium.
Alternatively, you can rely on healthy meal delivery services like Thistle. All of our meals are low-sodium and dedicated to providing your body with the healthy, nutrient-dense food it needs without going overboard with flavorings like salt. The great thing about Thistle's meals is that you'll still eat delicious food! Each meal is designed by our culinary team and hand-crafted by our in-house chefs, and draws on inspiration from around the world.
What Foods Are High in Sodium?
You may be surprised to learn that many of our favorite foods and beverages are high in sodium content:
- Table salt, of course, laces many of our favorite meals even after the dish has been prepared--one teaspoon of table salt already has 2,300 mg of sodium (your supposed max limit for the day!)
- Any smoked, salted, cured or canned meat, including fish, bacon, poultry, and so on tend to be very high in sodium content
- Frozen breads, particularly those that encase meat (think breaded fish, for example), are really high in sodium
- Salted nuts
- Canned beans that usually have added salt for flavor
- Buttermilk
- Cottage cheese
- Any type of processed cheese or cheese spread/sauce
- Bread and rolls that have any salt or salted tops/dressings
- Pizza is really high in sodium because of all of its ingredients
- Croutons, which can ruin an otherwise healthy salad
- Any pre-packaged potato, rice, pasta, or stuffing dishes in mixes
- Many types of canned vegetables and juices
- Frozen hash browns or "tater tots"
- Lots of commercially prepared pasta
- Tomato sauces
- Salsa
- Canned and dehydrated soups or noodle mixes
- Tons of deserts
- Salad dressings and soy sauce
- Salted butter or margarine
It's a long list! But the good news is that all of the foods above do have healthy alternatives. In most cases, eating foods that are made with healthy ingredients or foods that aren't produced in big centers with processing additives can still have some pretty tasty results.
What About Not Getting Enough Sodium?
While the overconsumption of sodium is definitely the bigger issue at-hand, it is also possible to not consume enough.
Sodium is a key mineral we need for daily health. In fact, sodium is one of the key electrolytes for your body – these are minerals that create charged ions that make your nervous system function properly. Thus, sodium is key for nerve and muscle function. It also plays a big role in maintaining a regular fluid balance.
If you don't consume enough sodium, there's some evidence to suggest that you may be more susceptible to have health conditions such as heart disease. Your body may develop increased insulin resistance, which could lead to type 2 diabetes and forms of heart disease. Your body might also experience increased LDL cholesterol levels – this is the bad form of cholesterol.
As you can see, the key when it comes to sodium consumption is hitting the sweet spot between 1,500 and 2,300 mg of sodium per day. You don't want to go overboard or consume too little sodium, as either extreme can potentially lead to negative health consequences down the road.
Conclusion
There's no denying that most Americans eat too much sodium every day. To make matters worse, finding a tasty but balanced diet and sticking to a healthy meal regimen can be difficult, especially for working adults.
We can provide healthy but tasty meals for you and your entire family, and we use just the right amount of salt to give you what you need. To make things even better, all of our meals are delivered ready to eat, so you don't have to spend any time preparing healthy options or looking over recipes.
Give it a try – balanced sodium intake is key to a healthy body and a sharp mind.
Resources:
When thinking about your sodium intake, balance is key. Here we provide you with various tips and tricks on how to avoid foods that contain high amounts of sodium, track your daily sodium intake, and make sure you are consuming the correct amount of this salt to meet your body's needs.
We all need sodium to survive. In fact, for most of human history, sodium was in such short supply that salt was one of the most valuable things you could trade. Ever heard of the phrase, "A man worth his salt?" That's because workers used to be paid in salt instead of precious metals like gold! Salt was, quite literally, worth just as much, if not more, than gold in some parts of the world.
But today, we have the opposite problem. Americans consume more than an average of 3,400 mg of sodium daily, even though the American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg per day and states an ideal limit of 1,500 mg for most adults. Since most people eat too much salt, due to its ubiquity and accessibility, health problems like high blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease, and kidney disease are just a few of the issues Americans are facing. We have become so accustomed to the taste of salt, that we often don’t even notice it!
So how much sodium should you have a day, and are you going overboard with your salt intake? Let's find out.
Signs You May Be Consuming Too Much Sodium
But how do you know whether you are consuming too much salt every day? It's tough to know how much is too much, especially since it seems like most processed foods come with too much salt by default, and it's hard to know the ingredients in restaurant foods.
You're Always Thirsty
Salt naturally makes us thirsty. Therefore, if you're thirsty all the time, your body's fluid balance might be out of whack. Drink lots of water and try to decrease your sodium intake to alleviate these symptoms.
Normal Food Seems Boring
If regular food seems boring or bland, you might just be too used to eating too much salt. This can make healthy eating difficult, leading to other health conditions.
Mild Headaches are Common
Headaches that crop up every now and again, or regularly (like every morning when you wake up), might be a sign of dehydration. This dehydration could be caused by overconsumption of salt.
You Always Want to Eat More Salt
This last sign is the most obvious – if your body becomes used to consuming a certain amount of sodium, it might start to crave it all the time. You are what you eat in quite a literal way, and both your taste buds and your gut biome (the helpful bacteria in your gut that assist with digestion) can become accustomed to too much salt, making you feel like you should seek out more.
How Much Sodium Should You Have a Day?
The good news is that the Food and Drug Administration states the amount of salt an adult should consume every day very clearly.
According to the FDA, the CDC, and the American Heart Association, adults should take no more than 2300 mg of sodium per day. You can also consume significantly less (around 1500 mg per day) and still remain within healthy sodium levels.
Currently, most Americans eat far beyond this level – average American diets can include up to 3400 mg of sodium per day. This is because most people underestimate how much sodium they eat, especially since they don't look at the nutritional information on the boxes or bags of many of their food items.
This is why it's so important to find low-sodium meals or rely on healthy, plant-forward meal plans like Thistle – you could be heading for sodium related health issues without even knowing it!
How to Track How Much Sodium You're Intaking?
Tracking your sodium intake will rely on forming new habits when it comes to reading nutritional information, and really considering what you eat and drink.
As an example, most processed and pre-prepared foods come with sodium or other additives that can increase your daily sodium intake relatively quickly. As an example, a slice of pre-made bread could have up to 230 mg of sodium, or a slice of frozen pizza could have up to 730 mg of sodium.
To track your daily sodium intake, you'll need to read the nutritional information on the back of every box or bag of food you purchase.
Furthermore, keep in mind that most home recipes call for salt at one point or another. Depending on your sodium intake, you may need to replace this sodium with alternative flavorings like lemon.
Then you have to consider your drinks and other consumed items like condiments. Even natural food sources, like vegetables and most dairy products, and all types of meat, contain a little bit of sodium and can add to your overall sodium intake. A single cup of low-fat milk can contain up to 100 mg of sodium.
Alternatively, you can rely on healthy meal delivery services like Thistle. All of our meals are low-sodium and dedicated to providing your body with the healthy, nutrient-dense food it needs without going overboard with flavorings like salt. The great thing about Thistle's meals is that you'll still eat delicious food! Each meal is designed by our culinary team and hand-crafted by our in-house chefs, and draws on inspiration from around the world.
What Foods Are High in Sodium?
You may be surprised to learn that many of our favorite foods and beverages are high in sodium content:
- Table salt, of course, laces many of our favorite meals even after the dish has been prepared--one teaspoon of table salt already has 2,300 mg of sodium (your supposed max limit for the day!)
- Any smoked, salted, cured or canned meat, including fish, bacon, poultry, and so on tend to be very high in sodium content
- Frozen breads, particularly those that encase meat (think breaded fish, for example), are really high in sodium
- Salted nuts
- Canned beans that usually have added salt for flavor
- Buttermilk
- Cottage cheese
- Any type of processed cheese or cheese spread/sauce
- Bread and rolls that have any salt or salted tops/dressings
- Pizza is really high in sodium because of all of its ingredients
- Croutons, which can ruin an otherwise healthy salad
- Any pre-packaged potato, rice, pasta, or stuffing dishes in mixes
- Many types of canned vegetables and juices
- Frozen hash browns or "tater tots"
- Lots of commercially prepared pasta
- Tomato sauces
- Salsa
- Canned and dehydrated soups or noodle mixes
- Tons of deserts
- Salad dressings and soy sauce
- Salted butter or margarine
It's a long list! But the good news is that all of the foods above do have healthy alternatives. In most cases, eating foods that are made with healthy ingredients or foods that aren't produced in big centers with processing additives can still have some pretty tasty results.
What About Not Getting Enough Sodium?
While the overconsumption of sodium is definitely the bigger issue at-hand, it is also possible to not consume enough.
Sodium is a key mineral we need for daily health. In fact, sodium is one of the key electrolytes for your body – these are minerals that create charged ions that make your nervous system function properly. Thus, sodium is key for nerve and muscle function. It also plays a big role in maintaining a regular fluid balance.
If you don't consume enough sodium, there's some evidence to suggest that you may be more susceptible to have health conditions such as heart disease. Your body may develop increased insulin resistance, which could lead to type 2 diabetes and forms of heart disease. Your body might also experience increased LDL cholesterol levels – this is the bad form of cholesterol.
As you can see, the key when it comes to sodium consumption is hitting the sweet spot between 1,500 and 2,300 mg of sodium per day. You don't want to go overboard or consume too little sodium, as either extreme can potentially lead to negative health consequences down the road.
Conclusion
There's no denying that most Americans eat too much sodium every day. To make matters worse, finding a tasty but balanced diet and sticking to a healthy meal regimen can be difficult, especially for working adults.
We can provide healthy but tasty meals for you and your entire family, and we use just the right amount of salt to give you what you need. To make things even better, all of our meals are delivered ready to eat, so you don't have to spend any time preparing healthy options or looking over recipes.
Give it a try – balanced sodium intake is key to a healthy body and a sharp mind.
Resources:
